Washington State University’s three-story-tall rubber fig tree might be the largest indoor specimen of Ficus elastica in the United States.
There’s no real proof, mind you. It’s not listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, and the only rubber figs listed in the international database Monumental Trees are outdoor specimens. But with most indoor rubber trees topping out at 10 feet, it’s safe to say WSU’s big fig is special.
It’s also been a touchstone on the WSU Pullman campus for more than 60 years.
The India rubber fig began life as a small potted plant when Cleveland Hall was dedicated in 1962 as the home of the College of Education. Now it snakes up through the building’s large-windowed public atrium, supported by a metal rod through the second story. It could be taller, but the metal rod would have to be extended, and there’s no funding for that, says Amanda Linskey, plant growth facilities manager at the WSU School of Biological Sciences.
The stories around it are legion, even if mostly fanciful:
Cleveland Hall was built around the tree. (Nope)
WSU will add a story onto the building when the tree reaches the ceiling. (Wrong)
Cleveland Hall is kept at a warmer temperature to help the tree thrive. (Again, no)
Brandon Chapman (’04 Comm.), communications director for the College of Education, sits just off the main foyer where the tree is located. He says it doesn’t really matter that the tree attracts tall tales, because it also makes memories. He adds, “A plant that goes up seemingly from an abyss to the heavens deserves the recognition of an adoring public.”
(Photo Robert Hubner)